Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Upturned, turned upward: Describes something, especially a nose, that curves or points upward at the tip.
   • Tilted upward: Refers to something angled or slanted upward.

2. Verb:

   • To tilt/lift upward: The action of raising or angling something, like a face or eyes, upward.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • Cô ấy có chiếc mũi hếch rất dễ thương. (She has a very cute upturned nose.)
  • Anh ta nhìn với vẻ mặt hếch đầy kiêu ngạo. (He looked with a haughty, upturned face.)

• Verb:

  • Cậu bé hếch mặt lên trời một cách ngây thơ. (The boy naively tilted his face up to the sky.)
  • Nó hếch mắt nhìn tôi đầy thách thức. (He looked at me with a challenging, upward-tilted gaze.)

Advanced Usage

• "hếch hoác": An intensified, often negative, form describing something very upturned or snooty.
  • Cái mũi hếch hoác của nó trông thật khó ưa. (His extremely upturned nose looks quite unpleasant.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ngếch (adj/verb): A less common variant with a similar meaning of tilting upward.
• Hếch lên (phrasal verb): To lift/tilt up.
  • Nó hếch cằm lên tỏ vẻ không phục. (He lifted his chin up, showing defiance.)

Synonyms

• Adjective: Vểnh (upturned, often for noses), ngước (upward, for direction of look).
• Verb: Ngẩng (to raise/lift, typically the head), vểnh (to tilt/turn upward).

Related Idioms

• Mũi hếch, mắt toét: A humorous or critical idiom describing a facial appearance with an upturned nose and squinty eyes, sometimes implying a haughty or silly look.
  • Cứ mũi hếch mắt toét lên mà nhìn người ta. (He keeps looking at people with that upturned-nose, squinty-eyed expression.)

verb

1. to raise; to lift up
   • mũi hếch
     Up-turned nose